The issue of cancer is never far removed from our lives, as TV adverts like that of Marie Curie and Breakthrough Breast Cancer make sure we're aware of this insidious disease, whilst high profile celebs like Michael C. Hall (plays Dexter and just recovered from Hodgkins Lymphoma) and Gail Porter (Lung Cancer) make sure that we realize that cancer affects those from every walk of life.
What we're generally not informed of is how our BEAUTY life can change when diagnosed with the disease, as whether just suffering symptoms or undertaking a course of chemotherapy the whole balance of the skin and hair can dramatically alter.
This new series on Kiss and Makeup looks at what to avoid and what to embrace and delves into the toxicity levels of your favourite products. Education is imperative, and as most of us have had our lives touched by this disease in some way, a little knowledge can really make a difference when buying gifts for those afflicted, or even treating oneself to some safe R&R.
So let's start with what you should avoid and WHY.
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For the last 9 months I've been addicted to the Great Lengths hair extension system. I've tried a selection of others- the Cinderella, Verlocke and Wonderful hair extensions, but though each version had different pluses and minuses I continue to return to Great Lengths. Their position as my favourite hair extension brand could be challenged however, with news of a new luxury hair extension brand that has just made it over here from Austria, and use natural human hair.
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Now I like to keep my feet in good condition as gnarly toes don't work very well with my favourite sandals. The feet tend to be more of an afterthough though, as I want them in good condition but don't need them to be the centre of attention. This could all change with the new Crystal Pedicure which uses Crystallized Swarovski elements to the tune of 500 Swarovski crystals applied to the feet!
The treatment lasts one hour fifteen minutes and costs £110. It's availoable exclusively at the Nails Inc South Molton Street and Harvey Nichols, London.
I'm not sure that I'll be partaking but I could see the A-listers loving this look for their premiers!
There are a wide selection of tools that promise to help clear your skin, and reduce the sign of breakouts and I've probably tried a fair number of them. The No!No! spot remover, a variety of medications for your skin and even had the rather painful IPL treatment for acne. None have proved very effective though (well the meds were, but there were side effects) so I tend to view any new tool for the skin rather dubiously.
However Tria, the makers of the AMAZING Tria laser hair removal device have got involved, and as I'm very impressed with their original product I thought I'd have a look.
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The art of perfume creation has been around for centuries, but the recent surge in celebrity scents has made this art form slightly withdraw from the public eye. The scents of Ormonde Jayne are couture creation, with the range featuring high quality ingredients in luxuriously simple packaging. Ormonde Jayne doesn't believe in creating a celeb 'scent of the moment' as they're all about creating special scents that stand the test of time, and don't pay attention to the current fads. This creates a remarkably timeless ambience in their Perfumery in the Royal Arcade, as you're aware that the mirrored walls and ivory stone floor would be equally comfortable in the 18th century as it would today.
They've recently introduced a perfume matching system called 'Perfume Portraits' which aims to allow the customer to pinpoint their favourite oils through identifying their likes and dislikes of a variety of raw ingredients.
I headed down to the Ormonde Jayne store to try it out.
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Yes, we can finally reveal to you, the not so well kept secret that our favourite high street store- TOPSHOP!- is releasing a makeup range. The range will be in stores and online from May 5th, and boasts an almost bewildering array of colour choices and styles, including some very on trend varnishes and some cute crayon eye colours.
A quick peruse of the range proved it was more extensive than previously thought, as the range should suit all skin tones ads they've been very careful with their colour choices.
The products will retail from £4-£10 and I was impressive with the quality, as I was worried they might be pretty but not very well pigmented. The eyshadow duos are complementary and they've thrown in some shades that verge on neon (which makes me happy) as well as some lovely textured eye crayons that glide on the skin without dragging. These were really delicious to use and left a thick line of colour on my hand (see image below the jump).
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[Click image to enlarge.]
The UK's Cosmetic Executive Women have named their top brands and products for 2010 and it's always a fun list to peruse. There's categories for both prestige and mass market products, so you can find out the best products for what you want to spend. On the affordable end All For Eve Body Butter, Batiste Coloured Dry Shampoo, Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil Steamcream, All For Eve Lipstick and St Tropez Wash Off Instant Glow Body Lotion took home awards, with All For Eve winning the Best New Brand award.
For the Prestige winners, keep reading...
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